You are here: Home > Breast cancer & breast health > Treatment & side effects > Surgery > Breast prostheses > Body scanners in UK airports
We have had a number of calls to our helpline and email service recently from women with breast cancer expressing concern and anxiety at the introduction of body security scanners at some airports. Many women who have had breast cancer are worried about whether this might affect their privacy and dignity when travelling, and how their concerns will be dealt with by airport security staff.
Here we try to explain the different types of scanners in use, what to expect when travelling and provide links to further information.
The latest full body security scanners were introduced in response to the attempted attack on Northwest airlines to Detroit on Christmas day 2009. They are currently in operation at Manchester, Gatwick and Heathrow airports, but in the coming months they will be rolled out to other UK airports.
The current operation of the scanners is governed by the Department for Transport. They have produced an interim code of practice which covers privacy, health and safety, data protection and equality issues, and also a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ paper for anyone concerned about the introduction of security scanners at UK airports. You can click on the links below for the interim code of practice and the FAQ’s.
Where the body scanners are in use, a random sample of travellers is selected to be scanned, which means that there is an 80% chance that you will not be scanned.
To protect privacy, the Interim Code of Practice states that:
There are two types of scanner in use: a millimetre wave scanner and a backscatter x-ray.
The millimetre wave scanner uses high frequency radio waves and does not use ionising radiation (the kind of radiation associated with medical x-rays) to produce a 3D image.
In contrast to millimetre wave scanners, backscatter x-ray scanners do use ionising radiation to produce a 2D image. But unlike medical x-rays, those used in this technology are scattered across the skin, revealing everything at skin level, with only a very small amount of penetration of the body. The risk to a member of the public from exposure to radiation from this scanner is said to be minimal, and is far below accepted radiation levels in the UK.
The purpose of the scanners is to be able to identify concealed weapons and prohibited items, but they will also reveal external breast prostheses, the type worn after a mastectomy operation.
The Department for Transport advises people wearing an external breast prosthesis to notify security staff before being scanned.
Although this may be awkward or embarrassing, it will mean you are less likely to be searched than if you have not declared it. It may also be helpful for you to carry a letter from the GP or breast specialist, confirming your situation, to help ease transit through security.
Upon seeing the external prosthesis on the scan, it is an individual decision by the member of security staff as to whether they conduct a body search. This means that wearing a breast prosthesis does not inevitably lead to a body search, but may do so.
If the scanner detects any item felt to be a security risk the person is simply called aside as currently happens when hand baggage is checked.
Security officers may conduct a body search on the grounds that they only have the passenger’s word and may need to verify their claims about the nature of the object (in this case a prosthesis) seen. However, passengers can request a female security officer to conduct the body search.
Any body search is carried out in a private, lockable room and the passenger is not left alone with just one security officer - a friend or family member may accompany the passenger if you wish.
Security officers are given specific training around sensitivity issues of surgery and prosthetics, so it is expected that they should remain respectful of individual circumstances, even in the event of a body search.
There are confusing reports on websites and in the media as to whether or not internal breast implants after breast reconstructive surgery may be seen on either scanner. The Department for Transport has been unable to absolutely clarify or give a definitive answer to this issue. They have said that it is highly unlikely to occur in either scanner as the depth of penetration into the body is minimal. They stress that the operators are experienced in security image analysis and are focused solely on the detection of prohibited items.
If you have any concerns or questions about the use of airport scanners please contact our helpline 0808 800 6000 or further information can be found on the Department for Transport website can be found at www.dft.gov.uk/ .